Sky Blue
by Harley-kun
Summary: A boy named Alfred has always been below average in everything, from his powers to his lifestyle choices. One day, while going about on his regular daily routine, he finds another super, by the name of Ludwig. Ludwig changes Alfred's life, for better and mostly for worse. ( SUPERHERO AU )
1. Alfred, starving yet free

Feet hitting the concrete as his breathing was harsh, a young man, only 19 years old, ran through the street. There is only a crowded street surrounding him, and most of the people are fearful, backed into a building as they watch the freak, the boy. Not many people care much for the supers, the people with abnormal powers that are subjected to three categories, sometimes unfairly so. Hero, Neutral, Villian. The natural order that makes powerless people feel safe. The boy is used to the looks he receives, and he makes no notion to try and stop their staring.

The boy jumps, his wheat blond hair blowing as he begins to ascend into the air, his sky blue eyes glowing as his body is surrounded by the same color. It took little for the boy to conjure enough energy to perform this feat, as he had been doing it all his life. with a small push from his mind, he was soaring through the air with ease, the buildings below him passing by in a calm, familiar manner. The boy considers himself a neutral, with super strength and telekinesis, he isn't the most important hero on the block. No, the people who can control elements, create living being to aid them, the men and women who can do something no one has seen before, those are the outstanding ones. Alfred is just a street thug whose done some good and some bad, he just hasn't killed anyone, hasn't gained the mark of a villain yet.

His city is small. Raised in nowhere, Alabama, he is a completely small-scale hero. His parents were normal, the only special thing about them was their slightly above average IQs. they gave birth to a kid who could move things with his mind and break out of his cradle. They didn't tell anyone, but they taught their baby to hold it in. He couldn't do this forever, and one day he got scared at school because some kid was teasing him about liking hero comics. That boy was sent to the hospital, his parents avoided being sued for hiding a super by telling them he must have developed them without their knowing. Alfred didn't blame them, it was just a small mistake, they were trying to keep Alfred safe, trying to keep him out of those special super schools.

This boy is Alfred, a normal super who steals small amounts of food to keep himself alive daily. Alfred who was kicked out of his normal high school at 16 because he wasn't focusing enough. Alfred who couldn't hold a steady job without a high school diploma. Alfred the nobody. Alfred the kid who wanted to be an astronaut, to see the stars and the touch the sky. Alfred who was taken from his parents at twelve after displaying signs of mental dysfunction, and the doctors feared he would hurt his parents with his powers. Alfred who had never shown anyone his super strength.

Alfred landed in a small field, his little blue tent dutifully waiting for him. No one knows where he lives, but if you asked him, no one really cared all too much. The field is golden with long weeds, a small patch cleared for Alfred and his tent. The weeds provide enough cover, as no one cares enough to look for him. Alfred crouched into his one man tent, which smells of air freshener and body odor, and sat down on his camouflage sleeping bag. he had taken some McDonald's, just a burger and fries. He thanked the people too, but they just looked afraid, as if Alfred was some bloody killer ready to murder them. Alfred couldn't kill a fly if he wanted to, so it wasn't shocking that he didn't even touch the employees, only the food.

He forget any ketchup, which sucks, but he just ate them dry. He hadn't eaten since Monday, and Alfred thinks it may be Wednesday, but he didn't much care. The lukewarm food felt good in his stomach. His old brown coat was wrapped tightly around him, the early fall weather finally setting in, his dark baggy jeans crumpled around his feet. His red sneakers are old too, he got them two years ago from a shoe store. They were on sale, too, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Plus they used to light up when you walked around in the dark, but the battery ran out four months after he got them. That was a bit of a disappointment, to say the least.

After Alfred's 'meal' he exited his little tent with a new goal. Walking from the field, Alfred carried behind him a bad of dog food. This food was stolen four hours ago, brought back just before he left to get himself something to eat. He always makes sure to grab a bag of dog food, no matter how big or small. A couple times he grabbed cat food too, but the place he goes doesn't have any cats, so he gave that out to strays. Today's bag is the biggest he could find, as he wanted to make sure they got plenty today.

The path is worn from the many times Alfred had walked it, the discreet site of the First Hope Animal shelter helpful for Alfred, being a sorta wanted man. The animal shelter is medium-sized, able to hold up to thirty-five animals at once. It only takes in dogs, because the owner is allergic to nearly all other animals(This including cats, horses, rabbits, etc.). The owner is a small old woman named Mrs. Dyer, with a vibrant personality and many playful quirks and stories from her past. The workers there are few and far in between, as most of the time Mrs. Dyer takes care of the animals herself. Lately, she had got sicker, and hasn't been able to do as much, so she's hired a couple of teens to help. She plans on passing the shelter onto Alfred, but he is unsure of how to take care of the shelter or pay the teens anything.

The shelter came up at the end of Alfred's path, right up to the back door of the shelter, the door having a sigh that plainly says '_Staff only_.' Alfred pulled out his key, clicking the door open. He walked in without much hesitation, plopping his bag of dog food down beside the door. Alfred locked the back again, the small click making Alfred smile. Turning around, expecting the see his friendly old woman friend smirking and holding her small hips, preparing to hear her usual line of 'Where in the sam heck do you find all this dog food everyday?' What he saw was anything but what he expected.

The small body of the old widowed woman, frail and in its last years of life, was pushed against the wall of the room, a bloody mess instead of the sweet old woman he had known. It appeared as if something had eaten her, and though he was afraid to say it, those paw prints leading away from her looked much like a dog's. Alfred held in a scream, but he couldn't stop the tears. His sweet friend, who always tied her long grey hair back with a flower hair pin from the children's section of Wal-Mart, was gone. He didn't even notice all night, he didn't come check more often like he wanted himself to. His only friend is now sitting against the wall, her old blue eyes hollow and empty, just like her stomach is now that it's been eaten. Alfred nearly vomited, but he heard noises from the front room, a jingling of keys. Alfred sucked in his fear, tip-toeing through the connecting door and into the kennel.

A man stood, surrounded by the shelter dogs. He opened the last cage, the one holding the puppies, and smiled as they circled around him, licking his hands as he crouched down and petted on their small heads. Two dogs in the back of the group, a German Shepherd and a Great Dane, made themselves known, as their muzzles dripped blood on the floor around them, their eyes glowing a bright, icy blue. The dogs didn't flinch at all, didn't even look over as Alfred entered the room. The man stood, but didn't notice Alfred until he finished looking over the dogs, petting them and cooing over them. The man's eyes matched the two dogs in the back narrow and icy blue.

"Who are you, what are you doing here?" The man asked coldly, his eyebrows furrowing together and the two dogs in the back snapped their heads to look at me, growling and showing their sharp teeth. The man's hair is blond and slicked back, his shoulders broad and his entire body filled with the hint that under those clothes there are muscles upon muscles. The man's body pose suggested that he was adequately trained, as if he were in the military at one point in time.

"I'm Alfred." Alfred choked out, his left hand baling into a fist as the two blue eyed dogs moved forward, taking small steps towards him. "Did you kill Mrs. Dyer?" Alfred asked quietly, seeing some of the dogs back away from the tense vibe the blue eyes man was giving off. The man said nothing for a while, his dogs doing a good job of intimidating poor Alfred.

"Yes, she was holding these dogs captive." The man stated, his lips turning from emotionless into a deep scowl. "She was beginning to become like a prison innkeeper, holding living things captive and claiming them as hers, when they rightfully belong outside and free to their own will. Now, I must ask, who were you helping her keep these animals here, huh, Alfred?" Ludwig growled, the dogs stepping closer to Alfred as he spoke. Alfred backed away slowly, to the opposite wall of the kennel, as the dogs approached.

"I was just helping her out, man. she was a really nice old woman, and you had no right to kill her!" Alfred found himself yelling, despite the crack in his voice and his shaking hands. The two front dogs pounced at him when he raised his voice, but he easily deflected them by using his powers. A small push and they were suspended in the air, a small wave and they were moved to the closest cage, the fence like door closing and locking as the dogs were laid down. Alfred couldn't hurt them, there was obviously something wrong with them.

"So you've got yourself some powers of your own, I see." The man glared, his tone dark and solemn. "I'm going to crush the system, my friend. My companions and I, we are going to rule the world. We're going to make all things living free and equal. People, animals, any creature that breathes and moves shall be free to it's own will. I need more allies, my friend." The man moved to me, and slowly the dogs around him shook, letting out small whines and twitching around. They stopped at the same time, their eyes all glowing that same ice cold blue. the two dogs Alfred had put into the cages were gnawing at their cell door, their teeth clenching down onto the metal so hard that they were bleeding from the mouth. "I'm Ludwig. Find me when you decide what you want to do, Alfred." Ludwig smiled, though it wasn't friendly. His smile is venomous, sinister. His eyes were a bright, slightly unnatural blue. His posture too perfect. This Ludwig seems to be the definition of villian, and Alfred was sure he had just met his first real super, one much more renowned than Alfred himself.

A loud booming sound filled the air around them, and Ludwig laughed. A small chuckle, his unnatural eyes swirling as he whistled. The two dogs in the caged went even more crazy, biting harder, their teeth obviously sore from the blood loss, one tooth even falling the the shepherd's mouth. Ludwig just laughed, moving out of the building through the back. Alfred looked to the two dogs, pushing the cage doors open. He wouldn't let himself accidentally kill them, even if he wasn't the cause. With a loud crash the wall of the kennel was knocked down, Ludwig gone from sight but Alfred still there. Three people made themselves known from the hole, all three wearing suits, showing off their status as Hero with an official hero stamp on the suit. A small man with short, straight black hair and dark brown eyes, wearing a black suit with a long tail over a pair of grey, baggy pants, long brown boots tapping the floor as he entered the building. A woman with long, curled brown hair with a flower on the right side, a shirt green dress over black tights making her look a bit like robin hood, her long green boots tipped at the ends, her eyes glowing a forest green. Lastly, a man with white hair and red eyes, his skin pale in contrast with his completely black suit, the dark blue jacket over it and the grey boots on his feet, barely lighter than the black pants and shirt he was wearing under the blue jacket.

"Ludwig was here, all right." The man in dark blue sighed, looking at the line of open cages, stopping at Alfred with his eyes wide. The two others looked to Alfred too, though they were all three doubtful of why Alfred was still alive, as Ludwig usually wouldn't leave anyone alive. "Why are you here? Who are you?" The man questioned, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the bloodied cage next to Alfred. Alfred felt his heart skip a beat under the red eyed man's harsh glare.

"I came to see Mrs. Dyer. I don't think I'm gonna be seeing her anymore, though." Alfred looked down, his voice small as he stood against the wall. The heroes were a bit confused, but said nothing to him. "I'm Alfred." Alfred muttered, watching as the woman stayed back to look at the cages, the two men moving on to see the rest of the building. The red eyed man came back, his eyes wide as he looked to Alfred again.

"Sorry, I see what you mean now."


	2. Elizabeta, lost flower

The white-haired man, whose name is actually Gilbert but I should call him Eagle, had talked to Alfred for around five minutes while his partners were looking around the building for more clues about where Ludwig had gone. Alfred had told him a lot, but hadn't shown off his powers yet, or even mentioned them. Gilbert was just curious as to where Ludwig went, as Ludwig is Gilbert's little brother.

"My brother was taken by his powers." Gilbert took a deep breath, his tone small compared to his loud, booming personality he had carried just a minute ago. "Powers can get lethal if you use then in a specific way, like villains use them. Ludwig's powers are easily changed from good to bad, as they deal with something's mind. His powers are hard to find, too. He can befriend or control dogs and other household animals, but he chooses dogs, as he's never gotten along well with cats. It's scary, as I knew if he got ahold of the wrong dog, he could turn bad in a heartbeat. That's what happened, with that Great Dane. The dog had been abused and it hates people, so much so that it even bit me and growled anytime anyone but Ludwig entered the room. It slowly got into his mind, that people were an enemy." Gilbert explained, his eyes glued onto the wall behind me, not really looking as he let himself wander in his mind.

"I see. You never thought it would get this bad." Alfred smiled weakly, his understanding of the topic to real to ignore. His parents and the police all thought he had gone from his mind too, but Alfred had never left, even with his powers he was still in complete control. "I hope you can turn Ludwig around. I could tell there was something wrong." Alfred muttered, his gaze now on the grey floor of the kennel. Gilbert and Alfred went silent for a moment, both lost in thought.

"I'm glad you aren't one of those people holding up those stupid religious signs. Not many people would sit and have a conversation with me. They're all too intimidated by my awesome powers." Gilbert looked up, smirking while his sharp fang-like teeth shown. Alfred nodded, laughing a bit. "So, how did a guy like you survive Ludwig's dogs?" Gilbert asked, his head tilting. Alfred was never one to lie, and he was unsure if he should tell his new friend about his powers or not. Sooner then later, Alfred supposed.

"Alright, let me show you." Alfred sighed, the smile still present on his face. Gilbert stood, Alfred getting up along with him. By the look in Gilbert's eyes, he had already guessed what Alfred was going to do, but not what his powers really are. Alfred pushed, just a small bit, and Gilbert's chair moved from it's spot. Alfred pushed a bit more, and he was suspended in air, surrounded by the same sky blue color that always matches his eyes. Gilbert's eyes went wide, and he laughed really loudly. Alfred put himself back down, flustered and a bit embarrassed that he would let himself show off like that.

"Telekinesis? That's so cool! I've always been jealous of those kinds of powers, as it means you're really smart. I just have the power to go through walls, turn invisible, and turn any part of my body into metal. It's cool, but not exactly helpful if you're trying to defeat a villain, because if they can fly you're a bit screwed." Gilbert laughed, one hand going over his chest. "So, how about you join us for a while? It'll be fun, and I'd love to get to know you better! You seem awesome, but still not as amazing as I am!" Gilbert smiled proudly, sticking out his hand and showing off more of his teeth. Alfred smiled too, taking the man's gloved hand and shaking it proudly.

"Alright, Gilbert. I'll go, but I don't know how long I'm going to ba able to stay." Alfred accepted easily, as he could tell a bad person from a good person, and Gilbert is alright in his book. The two others entered the room not a minute later, carrying a piece of paper. The small man, called Kiku by Gilbert, was carrying the paper while the woman, Elizabeta, carried her long blade behind him.

"We've found proof that Ludwig is trying to contact us from his subconscious, Mr. Gilbert." Kiku disclosed, holding out the paper to Gilbert, who took it with a jerk of his hands. "The note is written sloppily, as if Ludwig had limited time to control his own body. It was well hidden, too, as if he didn't want his power-hungry self to find it." Kiku stated, his gaze unmoving, his eyes showing a sympathy that Alfred could barely explain. Elizabeta stood back, her eyes looking around as she seemed to hear something.

"We best hurry. The police are on their way, and I don't want to see our new friend here get in trouble because he's not an identifiable hero." Elizabeta declared, already walking to the back door of the building. "I think we should stay at Alfred's place tonight. Don't worry, I heard the entire conversation, so I understand that Alfred is good." Elizabeta smiled, her facial features kind and her accent sweet. Elizabeta's boots tapped along the concrete floor as Kiku followed, a small smile on his face. Gilbert laughed a bit, looking over to Alfred.

"You'll get used to that." Gilbert remarked quietly, but still got a shout from Elizabeta. Alfred followed the trio as they moved, and they slowly let Alfred take the lead, asking him to show them where they could stay for the night. It was obvious that Alfred was a bit ashamed, but he wasn't going to lie about his living conditions. They were below meager, and he didn't even have a bath today, but he had been living there for a year, and he had only gotten the tent three months ago.

"Well," Alfred muttered as they entered the field. "There she is, home sweet home." Alfred sighed as the small tent came into view. The trio was confused, and rightfully so, but Alfred didn't let them ask any questions. "I know it's small and ugly. I know I should live somewhere that actually keeps me dry when it rains. I just don't have any money for anything else and I don't want to steal too much at once. I'm lucky they still consider me a small scale neutral, because I don't think I could live without stealing from the dollar menu at McDonald's." Alfred joked, smiling as he rubbed the back of his head. Gilbert snickered, sighing.

"Of course, you've got a heart of gold." Gilbert breathed, moving over and smacking Alfred on the back. Elizabeta closed her eyes behind them, listening for anymore noises that could indicate where the police are now in relation to them. While Gilbert talked to Alfred and Kiku joined in, Eliza let herself indulge in her powers of seeing and hearing from far away.

The sight is a rare ability, but it's considered low scale, as it does barely anything. Eliza considers it a gift, as it has helped her and her partners many times. It felt like she zoomed her vision through the woods, along that path. The sight is in back and white, but listening to the people gives her perfect perception of what they're saying, and if she focuses enough, she could find out what one person is thinking. The police are investigating the woman's body, while two officers have dogs leading them down the path, a piece of fabric in their hands. Identifying the fabric and reading it's history, it was from Alfred, about a month ago when it ripped off of his old pair of jeans. He was stealing something to eat when his pants got hooked on something, then he just left it. Eliza's eyes opened, a small gasp coming from her, so small it didn't even alert the rest of her little team.

"We need to leave, they have dogs after us." Eliza muttered, estimating that they have only about ten minutes before the police are in hearing range. "We can't let them find Alfred, because apparently they're after him more than we expect." Eliza informed them quickly, and the three others knew exactly what would have to happen. "Alfred, sorry, but I don't think you should come back here again. You can stay with us, I promise, but we've got to go. Use your powers and hover, so the dogs can't track you any farther." Eliza concluded, moving over and bringing her sword down on the tent, slashing a large hole in it. Eliza kicked dirt over it, opened the door halfway, kicked more dirt inside. Wanting to cover it up so the police couldn't tell how long ago Alfred had been here, aside from the fresh foot prints the four had left.

"Yes, lets go then. Thank you, Eliza." Kiku chimed in, smiling to the tall woman. Kiku walked beside of them, seeing Alfred as he began glowing. Kiku could easily see the ease in Alfred's powers, the smooth transition between without power and with power. Kiku had went to one of the best schools for children with power, and even if he had been sent off to a substitute Hero school, he knew that the level of control Alfred had was master. Not many children can master their powers, can have that control without taking years of classes or holding back for years. Kiku's own powers are hard to control, taking years to master and hold back. The power to move and control earth, to be able to break through any kind of material that is from the ground, any metal or rock or brick or wood, is one of the hardest powers to keep control of. Alfred's is much easier, but his master level control is rare, and Kiku's own control is just below Alfred's level of mastery.

"Lets go, then, I'm sure we don't need to stay here anyways. If we hurry we can get back to one of our houses before tomorrow morning!" Gilbert exclaimed, his smile wide and his steps purposeful as he walked in the front of the group. Eliza walked behind him, covering his mouth and shushing him, while Kiku walked beside the floating Alfred, who smiled down to the shorter man.

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><p><em>Ah, this story is going to vary in length with each update, so one chapter could be a mile long while the other is only 1000 words. Sorry if that bothers anyone. <em>

_Just a note, I'm gonna come up with the powers along the way, and I'm sorry if any of them bother anyone. If you want, you can send me a character from Hetalia and suggest a power for them! I'm sorry about some of them, because I have a power already in mind(Like England), but for most of them I'm going to be taking suggestions! If I don't get any messages, though, that's fine. Have a good day!_


	3. Kiku, seeing eyes

The police never caught up with the supers, and by taking the back roads they all four made it without gaining suspicious glances or getting the police called on them. The police couldn't do anything to the three heroes, but Alfred, as a neutral that had stolen things, could be arrested. They made it to Gilbert's home at 1 o' clock in the morning, the entire road leading up to the small house pitch black aside from Alfred's glowing aura. He hadn't landed the entire way, but he didn't look tired at all.

The home is small, the inside functional with little decoration aside from a couple of pictures of Ludwig and Gilbert, sometimes including dogs in said pictures. One picture above the fireplace is of an older man who looks like Ludwig, but with long hair, but other than that there was no other people in the pictures. The couch is beige with a stain or two on the cushions, matching the chair beside of it, and the carpet below is a deep maroon color. The walls are white, making the room look fairly balanced, but the brothers obviously aren't the next big thing in interior design.

"Welcome to my little bro's crib. He lives upstairs, I live downstairs." Gilbert smiled back to his friends, but his smile soon fell. "It's weird, huh? Luddy always turns off the lights before he leaves the house." Gilbert sighed, flicking the living room light off, walking through he house to the basement stairs. The house was completely dark, and the only reason Alfred even found the stairs was because Gilbert turned the light on.

The stairs down were rickety, creaking with each step as Alfred carefully went down. Gilbert, in the front of the group, stomped down the quickly, used to the shaky stairs. Gilbert turned on the rest of the lights before Alfred made it down, revealing a massive Prussian flag above a king sized bed, covered in unmade dark blue sheets. The rug on the floor is rainbow colored, and the floor is covered in carpet, underneath the carpet is wooden floors on top of concrete. The walls were splatter painted, and the room looked like it should belong to a rebellious teenager.

"Alright, lay the note down on the table, then we'll figure out where he's going next, or maybe he told us where he's keeping all the dogs!" Gilbert exclaimed, sitting down in front of a small plastic table painted blue and brown. Eliza looked over to Alfred, rolling her eyes, before moving over and sitting in front of the overly excited man. Kiku walked over calmly, followed closely by Alfred.

"Okay, so here's the note." Eliza said, placing the note int he middle of the table. The paper is slightly crumbled, the writing large so it's easily read. The handwriting is neat, but not as neat as the author intended. Gilbert looked it over first, turning it his way and intently reading over the note, written partly in German at the bottom. Gilbert nodded silently, placing the note back on the table.

After it was passed from him to Kiku, and then from Kiku to Alfred, it was finally clear what the note said.

_'Gilbert, I can't control my body much anymore. The power is a lot stronger than i imagined, but these notes are vital and take up so much energy. The power wants to take over the world so that everything will be equal, but that can't happen. It's killing those dogs, basically numbing their minds so much that in less than two weeks they'll be empty shells without the power's influence. It's planning on taking every dog under its care, making them servants so that they can take everything by storm. Soon it'll have taken police dogs into its domain, and god will that be an awful day. Why dogs? Well they're loyal and strong, and if it can get all the right ones, he can manipulate people into following him too. I hope you find people to help you. I'm scared, but I can make it. The power is next going to the closest police station in town, but I don't know which one. I'm going to write to you in German now, don't tell anyone the next part aside from yourself.'_

Looking up at Gilbert, his expression had turned thoughtful, more emotional than the him that was just a happy-go-lucky awesome guy. That German section must have said something personal, and Alfred knows it's better not to ask. The Ludwig Alfred remembers, the ice-cold man who had asked Alfred to join him, was not the same man Gilbert remembers, and Alfred needs to remember that. along with this, Alfred find himself curious who Ludwig was before this happened.

"We need to get going, then. In the morning we'll head to the nearest police station and then we'll get Gilbert to check out the dogs." Eliza instructed, nodding and strutting over to Gilbert's bed, flopping down over the blankets and curling into all of them. As Eliza slowly crooned into the covers, Gilbert jumped from his spot at the table, making it flip over and bounce, proving that it was actually made of plastic. Kiku laughed meekly, and Alfred let himself laugh too, louder than his companion.

"Mr. Gilbert and Mrs. Elizabeta are certainly a pair, aren't they, Mr. Alfred?" Kiku laughed, looking over to Alfred with a small smile. "I've been working with them for six months, ever since I left the super academy. They took me in because no one would hire me, and now they're my best friends. Them and Mr. Rodriech, the most kind and fin people I've ever had the pleasure of living with. They're in a relationship together, you know. The three of them get along well." Kiku explained, the pleasant smile still present. Alfred smiled over to the bed, where Gilbert laying sideways on the bed, his arms and legs over the side and his stomach on Eliza's back.

"They seem to like each other a lot, you know. I wish I could be in a relationship like that." Alfred confided in his new friend. "I've never even had a girlfriend before, or boyfriend, or whatever. I don't even care about relationships that much." Alfred continued, hearing Gilbert let out a loud, fake snore, only to get pushed off the bed by Eliza. Kiku nodded silently, looking at the same scene.

"I've never been too fond of relationships either." Kiku admitted, looking to the floor. "Being a hero, though, you meet more people than you ever thought you would. You get more followers, and some of them like you. I do like someone, a reporter I met in Europe a couple years ago. He knows English, I know that. He also doesn't have any powers, but they don't mind that. I think Mr. Roderich is a music instructor." Kiku smiled as he spoke, the precious memories he shared with Eliza and Gilbert close to him. Being with them for so long opened his eyes to the world, though he had to lie to Alfred, to keep him below the topic until he's proven good enough to know.

Kiku knows a lot about topics that simple neutrals just simply can't know, and Alfred being a neutral, he felt awful about having to lie. The super academy is a hoax, but Alfred can't know this. The super academy is more akin to a prison than a school, and normal people on the inside know, and Kiku knows who Alfred is, even is Alfred does not.

It was an accident to meet him this early in the game, and the academy has most likely found out by now, because Alfred is their toy. Alfred has been under constant surveillance ever since he 'escaped' from the hold the academy had him in. His parents were a big part in the academy's plan, and they had known from Alfred's conception he would turn out with powers that were considered normal and bland. How does Kiku know? Kiku's own parents were apart of this program, villains that had helped set up the academy. Alfred, in the next two years, would be hunted down after stealing something he wasn't supposed to, then taken into the academy and molded into something the poor boy would never become on his own. Ludwig had been a flaw, Gilbert said he would never meet a dog who would change him this much. Alfred just so happened to be in the way, and Ludwig had been told about all their plans, so he ruined it for them. Now Alfred really is being hunted down, and the heroes original plan to take Alfred away undetected had been foiled tremendously.

"I wish I had friends, I would do so much with them. Like, have you ever played baseball, Kiku? I would love to get together and play a big game of baseball together, even if it's just two of us." Alfred smiled, laughing as he layed back on the rug. Kiku smiled again, sad that they would use someone so pure to enact their plans. The academy would have brainwashed him, like their other students, but would make him have multiple personas inside. He would have been able to fool any hero, and luckily Kiku was able to find out the exact date of the operation, or they might not have been able to plan ahead so far, even if it was just going to be ruined.

Alfred is filled with power far beyond his own understanding, it's just locked away. All they need is the right push and he'll come out fully. The right push could come in many ways, but Kiku plans to hold it off. Eliza and Gilbert will wake up after Alfred falls asleep, then he'll talk to them about his final plan. Kiku hopes that they don't disapprove, as this part of the plan is risky for both them, Alfred, and it is playing with the fate of the entire world.

The academy has strings everywhere, run by undercover super villains who started it to create more mindless villains to follow them. All Kiku needs is to find people with powers who aren't affiliated with the academy. Kiku, sadly, only knows of few people.

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><p><em>again a short update! This was uber fun to write, and I just suddenly got plot heavy. Why, you may scream into the distance. I say I have no clue, but am happy with the result. i am still open for suggestions on more characters, though, and I would like to ask who to include in the next chapter; Belarus(Natalia) or Ukraine(Sofia)? I was thinking more on Bela, because she needs some time in my fanfic, and I like to include the girls. I was also thinking that soon I may add Seychelles, but idk.<em>_  
><em>


	4. Natalia, weeping angel

_November 3rd, 2009, I just witnessed a second kidnapping of super children. This time a little boy with blond hair and slightly large eyebrows. He was claimed to be related to the retired villain Magician, but they didn't much care about his petty threats. He also claimed to know the five heroes who live in the Nordic countries, which brought up some concern, but not much. I wanted to try and help, but I arrived a bit too late. As a neutral, that would have affected my status as well, but the boy nearly made me cry as he kicked and screamed for his older brother. I can only do so much, as I just grow claws and blend myself in with the surrounding area, but the small boy surely needs help now. I can only hope that old man Magician will help his little brother, but that isn't what I'm doing now. I'm still searching for my own brother, and until I find him, I won't stop. Sofia claims him dead, she says they killed him and now he's buried somewhere in Nevada's deserts. I say no, they wouldn't do that. She may not want to break her cover, but I refuse to let Ivan stay missing any longer. I love my dear sister, but my brother, no matter if we're not really related or not, is my main priority now. _  
><em>I've been in there. I know what it is, I've actually broken free of their mind washing. They know this, and they're always looking for me. I've stayed under their radar, just out of sight for two years. My emotions have gone due to their sick, sick ways of making children kill things and use their powers in disgusting ways. It pains me to write that, in fact, I have killed someone with my own hands before. Those disgusting people, they're making my brother kill. I don't want him to have to suffer anymore, and I hope he isn't too far gone.<em>  
><em>- Natalia<em>

The pencil stopped at the neat signature of her name, as she had been trained to write it so eloquently in the super academy. The cold weather around her made it unbelievable that she was away from her home in Belarus, where her father moved to after divorcing Ivan's mother, him divorcing her only two years after leaving Sofia's mother.

Looking up, she saw the large base of the five Nordic heroes, her diary going back into her large purse. snuggling closer into her long, deep red jacket, Natalia approached slowly. The base is bigger than a normal home, smaller than most bases. Natalia had never been apart of any groups made specifically for heroes. The large, grey colored building has an oak door and three windows on the first floor and two on the top. A very modern building in comparison with Natalia's old home in Belarus, which was more of a cabin. It looks friendly enough, with Christmas decorations already out. Most bases don't take much time to decorate, Natalia has found. As a messenger, Natalia has seen many hero bases, met many heroes. It's always difficult to speak to them, but she manages.

Her boots clunked as she stepped up the stairs of the base, her hat being pulled off her dull, dirty blond hair as she went to the door. The hat is a simple beanie, stripped with grey and brown, now spotted with snow. Natalia poked the doorbell, hoping silently that the people inside wouldn't assume she was here for no good. Her message was to be clear and concise, and she would ask politely if she could help. Footsteps inside made Natalia nervous, as she held her hat in front of her chest with both of her gloved hands. She had only heard of the Nordic heroes, she had never seen any pictures or read anything about them. Natalia only gathered the little information she needed to find them and give her message. The door creaked open, and Natalia looked the the ground before the man looked at her.

"Hello, I've got something to say to you." Natalia muttered, her gaze drifting up. Many heroes had come off as violent, some of them so intimidating that Natalia had to train herself to become as Intimidating as they usually were. Now, though, she wanted to come off as anything but a threat. Her eyes dared to move upwards, trailing the man's black boots, light blue pants, white shirt under a black jacket, up to his face. Natalia became confused instantly.

"Hello there! It's nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Tino, otherwise known as Santa by some people." The shorter man smiled, his bleach blond hair shining under the artificially colored christmas lights. Her gentle features made Natalia feel like a fool for trying to come off as small, as the man didn't seem to care much. The man's purple eyes shown with generosity, and Natalia gave a weak smile, brittle and obviously forced.

"I'm Natalia, just Natalia. I just need to come in for a second, as I have a message and a request." Natalia stated, her voice going back to it's usual monotone seriousness. Tino still smiled, stepping out of the doorway to let her in. Natalia nodded to the man, slipping off her work boots as she entered the door. Tino followed her, shutting and locking the door. A loud conversation was heard through the home, and as Tino took charge and stepped in front of her and into the next room, the conversation fell. Natalia stepped into the room, glaring without really meaning to.

"Hello." A heavily accented voice came from the tallest man in the room, wearing a dark blue sweater and having on thin glasses. The man's cold blue eyes under his and blond hair made Natalia want to tense up and challenge him, but she held back on her instinct and followed her mind instead. Tino moved over, taking a seat next to the shortest man, who has white hair and dark purple eyes. Natalia calmly walked over and took the closest empty seat to Tino, one of the two empty seats at the dinner table.

"I'm Natalia. I have several pieces of news for you, some good, some bad." Natalia looked each in they eyes as she scanned the table, unintentionally following the training that the academy had instilled on her. "The first, a message that was sent in early October, now here. It is from four people in America, wishing for help. I've already accepted their offer." Natalia explained as she pulled one envelope from her purse, neatly written on the top '_TOP SECRET_.' Natalia hadn't opened the letter, and whoever had given it to her swore they didn't. The man that has spiked blond hair and electric blue eyes picked up the note, the man sitting across from her. His eyes read over it carefully, his eyebrows slowly moving together in building rage.

"Dammit! The entire plan is screwed. I knew Ludwig should have stayed in Germany, we don't need this right now." The man swore, his hand smacking his forehead. "Sorry, Natalia, this is probably over your head. We already know what's going on with you. We know you want to join us. Heroes are more in touch than letters, but I wish that Gilbert had told me we're fucked over the phone." The man took deep breaths, calming himself down. Natalia didn't let her facade crumble, but she was confused inside. Heroes are all so confusing sometimes, and Natalia didn't see the point in not telling her this in the first place. The man who'd given her the note, a man named Feliciano, back in the middle of Berlin, said he didn't read the note. Did he really? Does Feliciano have powers? Questions that Natalia would most likely never get the answers to.

"Calm down, Mathis. It's not so bad. If we had let the plan just sit for too long, it would reveal only more and more flaws in it. Now that we've got to improvise, maybe we'll find a better way to get through it." One man, with an emotionless stare and pale blue eyes, sighed from the other side of Tino. "Natalia, you can come with us. We and a hand full of others were called upon to gather, but we're not supposed to leave yet. We're going to leave on November 7th, and we're going by bus. Our destination is Berlin, where a couple more people will join us, then we'll fly over to America." The man said, leaning forward so he could speak to Natalia clearer. Natalia nodded silently, saddened by the last piece of news she had to deliver. Natalia hadn't helped the boy, as back then she thought her neutrality was essential to the mission. It wasn't, not at all, and now that little boy is paying for Natalia's error. Taking in a deep breath, Natalia tried to keep her mind calm and face stoic and emotionless.

"I only have one last thing to say, it has nothing to do with the mission." Natalia said quickly, trying to get it over with. "There was a boy I saw, I didn't try to help. I saw him, with blond hair and big eyebrows. They took him, the academy. Put him into a bus to be sent off to their gross facility. he claimed to be the brother of the retired villain, the Magician, and he also claimed to know you five. I didn't know if my neutrality was essential to the mission, so I didn't intervene. I should have, I know." Natalia spoke quietly, and she heard the harsh breathing coming from beside of her. Tino, such a kind man, was crying. Natalia had been trained to sense weakness in people without even looking. The gross, gross training that took her innocence away. The same gross, gross people that took her big brother.

"Peter, oh my god. How could you let them take him!" Tino slammed his fists on the table, reaching over and pulling Natalia's shirt until she looked into his eyes. "Why didn't you try and stop them? How could you think that your stupid neutrality was essential to this mission?" Tino shook, crying out of his immense anger. Natalia felt her own tears want to run over, let herself cry for the first time in over three years, but she didn't. "How are you so heartless? what's wrong with you?" Tino asked, his voice weak and overflowing with emotion, something Natalia hadn't felt much of in years. Natalia used to be like him, a normal super who would be able to choose her fate. Her fate was chosen for her when she was taken, but she narrowly escaped their plot, out at the smallest nanosecond of their weakness.

"I'm sorry. I would have probably helped if not for my situation." Natalia stared into Tino's eyes, the light violet shining with tears. "Look at me, Tino. I'm what happens to the children who go in there. I was trained to follow rules and take no cautions, so I couldn't bring myself to help or follow what my emotions told me was right. Just as I, if we take too long with this plan, the boy, Peter, will come out as I am. A zombie trained to do their bidding." Natalia muttered, her face close to Tino's. Tino's grip on her shirt softened, and he let Natalia back into her seat, falling back into his own.

Tino looked deep into Natalia's eyes, the rest of her expression revealing nothing. Her eyes revealed long hidden secrets, years of isolation and manipulation. Her innermost thoughts were told to no one, and yet here Tino was learning more about her than anyone else probably ever had. Tino let his head fall into his hands, utter hopelessness filling him.

"I had no idea anyone could out of there alive..." The blond with blue eyes, sitting across the table, said in a complete awe. "You're surely welcome here, then. I'm Mathias, it's a pleasure to see a real hero in our home. While you're here, you're part of the family! I know you've made mistakes, we all have. We can get Peter back after we complete the plan. It's gonna work with everyone together, so you don't even have to worry! We'll meet in America, wait for further instruction, and in the meantime we'll help you with your emotions and such. Having a family is the most important part of that, you know!" Mathias smiled, his grin wide. The tallest man in the room, with a scowl on his face and glasses, stood from his chair, his hands shaking.

"I'll show you to your room." The man said, trying to keep his voice sturdy. He must be close to Peter. His large form moved without even checking to see if Natalia followed. Natalia stood, giving a curt nod to the rest of the men, following quietly behind the tall man.

"I know what it feels like to loose someone. Please, let yourself cry. I won't judge, sir. My brother was taken with me, you see. I'm working on getting him back, as well as Peter." Natalia whispered from behind the tall man as he opened one of the small doors, giving him a small, but sincere, smile.


	5. Arthur, misjudged and misunderstood

Kiku walked alone in the crowded streets of London, England. A specific purpose on his mind, he doesn't say anything to anyone, even those who bump into him rudely or try to ask him any questions. He is on the hunt for someone, an old enemy/ friend. he was never a serious villain, no matter what the media said about him while he was active. He would take a bit of money, but because he accidentally killed someone, he was labeled a villain right off the bat. Kiku had known him before that happened, even, and the Magician wasn't a bad man at all. Now, as he is retired, Kiku has come to ask him for help. His powers haven't been seen on anyone else before, other than his little brother, Peter. This makes him an asset to the heroes and the villains, and as Kiku recently got the news of Peter's kidnapping, he also plans on telling the Magician about his brother.

Kiku turned sharply into an alley between an old fashioned building and a raggy, much more uncared for building. The raggy building has a door on it's side in the alley, a small sign above it reading 'Magic and the Unknown,' the small shop the Magician now runs. A very unsubtle title, but the Magician loves his craft more than anything else.

When Kiku approached the door, he noticed a few key things lining it. a small voice commanded lock, put there by one of the larger superhero divisions in Europe to keep him from doing anything bad. A small sign reading '_Sorry, we're closed!_,' and a peephole in the very middle, just above Kiku's head. Kiku decided that being subtle is always the best, so he quietly knocked on the door. Luckily, the man is home, as loud, banging footsteps echoed trough the small shop.

"Can't you read the sign? I'm closed!" The man's voice on the other side is slurred and his voice tired. He must be drunk or loosing sleep, but Kiku can work around both. "I'm a bit busy now, and I don't need anyone disturbing me." The man continued, and Kiku diagnosed the man with loosing sleep, as when he is drunk he can't pronounce cat correctly. An eye went to the peephole, as Kiku recognised the bright green eyes looking out. Kiku backed away from the door a bit, so that the Magician could see him.

"Mr. Kirkland, it is very nice to see you again. I understand you must be busy, but this matter is very important, and it involves you a great deal." Kiku inquired, looking at the peephole, hoping Arthur could see him. On the other side of the door, the sound of clicking locks sounded, and the wooden door creaked open.

"You should have said it was you, Honda. I didn't know who to expect. Those other European heroes have been at my ass lately because I've been working on my magic." The Magician, a Mr. Arthur Kirkland, smiled to the shorter man. Kiku bowed lightly, walking into the small shop as Arthur closed the door. The small, dim shop is familiar, even now with its new coating of dust. The colorful, cheap magic toys line the walls, once only able to get sold because of Arthur's own special power. The power he calls magic, and it comes without any explanation from the scientific world.

"Yes, I guess that would have been more wise. You wouldn't have had to run out there, either. I know some heroes are very cautious and impatient." Kiku said, his tone cautious and quiet. if they have a voice monitor outside, who's to say there isn't a recording device inside. This kind of information could kill their plan, even though the new one is much less complex. Who is also to say that is really is heroes listening in to his friend? "I must ask, old friend, will you come out with me? I'm sure you know all the good places in London, and it would be wonderful to catch up." Kiku mutter cautiously, using his hands to say something else. beckoning Arthur further to the door, Kiku smiled. "I'm glad you want to be my friend again, Arthur. It's rare for a villain to repent his ways." Kiku continued, unlocking and opening the door behind him. Surely there is a camera in the room. They wouldn't let a so-called retired villain have his own personal space, no privacy for when he would do something, even if Arthur was a rather innocent villain.

"Alright, let's go then." Arthur muttered, grabbing his coat and het from the rack, slipping the coat on and carrying the hat out. Arthur made sure to keep his gloves on, as they would be important to keep people from tracking him. His shoes might give him away, though, they're limited edition and very few people have them. That was a mistake Arthur hoped wouldn't cost him, as he only has three other pairs of shoes he could wear. Arthur's shoes clicked on the sidewalk, just a step or two behind Kiku.

"Peter has been taken." Kiku muttered as he fell into step beside Arthur. "Your little brother, taken captive less than two days ago. We will bring him back, Arthur, but we'll need your help." Kiku continued quickly, making sure no one listened to their conversation. The sake of the world is at stake, the academy is strong enough to take out any government it pleases. If it gets much stronger, it will succeed. Peter and Alfred are key in their plan, just as Alfred and Arthur are key in the heroes plans.

"Peter?" Arthur muttered, stupefied that they had even found him. "I sent him off last year, they shouldn't have been able to find him. He was adopted into a happy home, Kiku, how did they find him?" Arthur pleaded, though he made sure it wasn't too loud. He felt his chest tighten at the thought of Peter being put through whatever program they use, through the exhausting mental torture the academy has. What is in there is a mystery, but the villains it has produced so far are terrifying and merciless, hollow inside and incapable of showing emotion. Peter wouldn't turn out like that, Arthur hoped, he was too strong.

"We're sorry, but your brother was an accident. We've been helping you, Arthur. Out little organization has hidden Peter for as long as we could, but we could have keep him secret for longer, if not for Ludwig's ailment. He's spread a lot of our secrets just for money so he could get more technology, more ammunition. I don't know what we're going to be able to do for him, but we must act quickly on all sides. You don't know much yet, Arthur, but if you help us, we can tell you more." Kiku offered, looking to the taller man for a hint. Arthur's facial expression revealed fresh pain, his large eyebrows scrunched as he held back tears. Kiku felt awful, having to ask such a thing from a man who had just lost someone close to him.

"I don't know, do you think the others will let me?" Arthur asked, holding himself back as much as possible. Kiku nodded, knowing his plan will work. He hasn't thought of all the angles, all the small possibilities, or what the push to unleash Alfred's true power may be, but his plan is nearly flawless. Arthur isn't a big part, but his powers are useful to keep them undercover until they can get close enough to infiltrate the academy's main base, located in Richmond, Virginia. Their main base is their largest school, and it is rumored to be the worst. Arthur isn't too important, but without him Kiku could count millions more variables that could mess up his plan.

"They'll let you, I've already told them my agree that you are needed, Arthur." Kiku informed calmly, seeing how hard Arthur was trying to keep himself in line. of course, if he were to burst into tears barely anyone would say anything, but it is best to stay underground and unnoticed by the public, in case a spy is watching.

"Alright. We'll ge Peter back surely, if we all work together. They can't beat all of us, right?" Arthur hoped silently the answer would be positive, but when he saw the look on Kiku's face, he knew they stood little chance. "Well, Kiku, with you on our side I'm sure we can do anything. You're amazing at this stuff, and you're so smart too. We should be fine." Arthur smiled to himself, but knew that with the academy's large expansive program, it will be hard, if not impossible, to actually accomplish anything. Arthur would do it for Peter, though, if anything.

"We will all try out best, Mr. Arthur." Kiku muttered, his eyes downcast. "It will be the most difficult thing any of us will ever do, but we will find a way to help somehow." Kiku continued, again working through the plan step by step. His powers are odd, but common.

Kiku can control earth and matter, so he's found a way to manipulate his brain to do what he pleases. Upon testing, Kiku uses upwards of seventy percent of his own brain. Kiku can cause explosions of ground with just a flick of his wrist, work out any problem the would could throw at him.

He knows the chances, Alfred is either a ticking time bomb or an angel sent to help them. It's 70 against 30 now, but Kiku must take that chance. Alfred will either destroy the world or save it, and Kiku is going to find out his own way.


	6. Matthew, invisible hope

Breathing harshly, a shaking man ran through the forests of northern Canada. Deep into the forest, his companion by his side, a small talking polar bear. Behind the man, a squad of black-dressed men search for him. In the running man's hands are documents, some that could ruin everything for the large corporation, the Super Academy.

His invisibility only helped him a little, as he could still be detected as a small dot of heat if the men scanned around them. The fancy equipment was going to damn him one day, but not today, surely. Far out of their machine's reach, the man let himself rest. His hands on his knees, his breath coming in quick pants. His companion, the large polar bear, sat down beside of him, looking back to make sure they were far enough away.

"Matthew, we need to keep going. I can smell them, they can tell where we're going." The polar bear, Kumajiro, muttered. Matthew, the man, laughed quietly. His voice had always been nearly silent, so he barely had to make himself whisper. Matthew was just glad that the bear hadn't forgotten his name again. Slipping the documents in his satchel, Matthew kept on. His feet crunched quietly in the thin layer of snow, his pace much slower than before. He could go invisible at any time, but he knew they could find him either way if they really tried. Staying slow and silent is the best way to sneak, as Matthew has found.

The loud sirens long fading from the air around them, having gone to look somewhere else. Kuma affirmed this, sniffing the air and giving a nod. Francis will be very proud, as this mission was a gleaming success. Matthew even got more documents then he needed, and he hadn't even needed Kuma's help to get it. the soft crunch of snow calmed Matthew, the cold his natural habitat.

"I can't wait to see my brother. I want to meet him so badly, Kuma." Matthew smiled, the polar bear beside of him humming in agreement. The documents on his person were a part of the puzzle, making him ready to meet his brother. Francis, his long time caretaker, had sent him out here. He asked Matthew to grab as much as he could, at least 12 documents, from the Academy's closest headquarters. Francis has always been there, so Matthew would do mostly anything he asked of him. Near the cabin they shared now, Matthew smiled to himself.

Squinting at figures near the door of the cabin, Matthew felt his cautious side take over. Hiding behind a tree, about ten feet away from the open door and black coated agent, he heard only tid bits of the man and Francis's conversation. Matthew felt himself grow confused, why would Francis be talking to any of the academy's agents? The man and Francis had been standing there for a while, it seemed, as there was a bit of snow blowing into the house and the men still in the military grade vehicle were relaxed and their guns down.

"I can't keep tricking him. I thought you said he wouldn't have feelings, I thought you said I wouldn't get attached to him." Francis cried to the man, his arms shaking and tears streaking down his cheeks. Matthew felt his grip on the tree tighten, knowing they were speaking of him. Francis took in deep breaths, and Matthew realized he had never seen Francis cry before.

"We know. We did lie. We also know what you've been up to with him. You sent him to go steal from us. We thought we had you better trained." The strict military officer grumbled, pulling out a small square device and sticking it to Francis's stomach. Matthew cringed as he heard Francis scream. "I told you, we need him to get Alfred. He was born for this reason, as a precaution. We gave him to you because we thought you were better than this. We brought you and fed you, kept you alive for this and you've let us down. Your powers of getting anyone to love you are useless now, it seems. The subject will listen to you no matter what, but you're corrupted." The officer continued, pulling back the device. Francis fell to the ground, his eyes clenched shut and tears still falling. The officer yelled for his backup, who quickly got out of the car and hoisted the body into the back.

"We'll continue our training. Hook him back up to the machines, I'll wait for Matthew here myself." The officer ordered harshly, getting a stiff nod from the other, lower rank officers. Pinching the bridge of his nose, the officer walked into the house. Matthew listened to his surroundings, turning invisible on instinct. Surely they didn't know he was listening, right? They couldn't have planned this out, never would they have guessed.

Matthew ran the other way when the roar of the engine was too far off to hear. Francis didn't mean it, did he? The leaves crunched under Matthew's feet as he walked silently through the snowy, dreary forest. The sun was covered by he clouds, making the forest only bright enough to see. The bright colors of the forest were duller, and the tears in Matthew's eyes made it only harder to see. Francis was trained by the academy. Matthew was only born as a back up to Kuma, Matthew began to question the bear.

"Are you one of them too, Kuma?" Matthew cried, watching as the bear moved forward and nudged his leg. He saw the bear's eyes, clouded over like his own. Bringing Kuma into his arms, Matthew kept walking. "Kuma? Please answer me?" Matthew begged, looking to his little white friend.

"I was. I didn't know, they put the voice in me so I did what they said. I won't do what they say now, though. I learned, I swear." The bear sobbed into Matthew's coat. "i didn't know they would just take him away. I didn't know they'd hurt him." The bear kept crying in an odd moment, this completely out of character. Matthew accepted his apology, knowing the bear was completely serious. Kumajiro was completely serious, remembering what they did. Taking him from his habitat and performing dangerous experiments, installing a more human voice box and forcing him to learn how to speak.

"It's okay, lets just move. We need to go find my brother, hopefully he'll have some answers." Matthew confided to his best friend, now only friend. Francis had been secretly against him this entire time? No, that isn't it. Francis had been lied to by those people. Francis is only four years older than Matthew. Matthew had been seven when he moved in with Francis from that orphanage, after being left there by his dad. It was all planned, then. Hewas meant to be abandoned by everyone, so he would be more attached to Francis.

Matthew let himself mourn the life he had lived. No wonder he and Francis had always gotten by, a seven year old and an eleven year old wouldn't be able o survive on their own without some help. They always had something to eat, even if Francis would always limit them to only a little a day to keep food supplies up. He hadn't ever gotten an education, but he somehow knew everything he would generally know by this age. Those books in his room, his impeccable knack to pick up words easily. It must have all been planned out. Finding Kumajiro two years ago, alone and hungry. Everything was planned. The Francis Matthew knew isn't the actual Francis. If he works for the academy and has been there long enough, there may not even be a _real_ Francis. It could all be pretend, Francis could be anyone. It could be an act.

The bear in Matthew's arms helped keep him calm. Running his hand over his thick fur, Matthew tried to think of happier things. At least Kuma is still here, sleeping against his chest. Hopefully he isn't a trick either, but Matthew honestly didn't care much if he was or wasn't now. Matthew just needs someone with him, the bear provides company that no one else could now.

The trek made it only more clear. Matthew needs to find his brother, needs to destroy the system. He needs to ask Francis a couple questions.

It will all start with his mysterious brother, the lead role to his play. The person he is second to. The person he was born second to.

* * *

><p><em>sorry it took a while. I got real uninspired for a while with this story. I'll most likely start the plot of the story next, but if I don't, don't blame me. I'm so uninspired for this story right now. ugh.<em>

_Spell check__ hates Kumajiro._


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